Yep, so once again school and life have gotten in the way so it has taken me forever to get this chapter out. Hope it doesn't feel too overstuffed or rushed in parts! Enjoy!

As usual, this is dedicated to my idol and hero Cory Monteith. Love you always. :)

"That's the last of it!" Finn heaved out a long sigh as he dropped the last box off on the small, refurbished kitchen table. It was a little scratched up and beaten but they'd gotten it for a pretty kick-ass price at goodwill. And with the two chairs and small china cabinet they could put Rachel's little knickknacks on display and store towels and stuff in it.

It felt great to feel more adult. This was their place now, they didn't have to share it with family. It was their first step to creating their own family and own little niche in New York.

"Oh thank Barbra. My arms are numb." Rachel groaned and collapsed on the couch, Finn following soon after. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her slightly sweaty forehead.

It was getting warmer and warmer as the weeks passed, a good indication that summer was definitely on its way. Then they'd been heaving boxes up and down floors for over two hours which only added to the scalding heat.

It would've taken longer but they'd roped their friends into helping, save for Artie and Kurt (the latter who refused to carry up anything that wasn't a light box of kitchen utensils and pillows). So they were left with only a few more boxes to carry up. Mostly just Rachel's bathroom products and Finn's game stuff.

"I can't believe we're finally here. You hear that?" Rachel nuzzled her face into his shoulder before she gazed up at him with a cute little grin on her face.

He chuckled, soothing his hand over his jaw as he listened intently, hearing nothing. "Hear what? I don't hear anything. 'Cept for the sound of traffic." He shrugged.

"Exactly! No roommates, no interruptions of privacy, nothing. No snarky comments from Santana about how disgustingly affectionate we are. No griping from Kurt about how you left the damp bath mat in front of the sink." They both marveled at the silence inside the apartment, arms and legs intertwined on the couch.

Finn smirked and slowly turned his head towards her, placing soft kisses behind her ear. "So does that mean we could have sex right here on this couch and nobody could say a word or do anything about it?"

She shuddered under his touch and slid her hand up to hold the back of his neck, her eyes closing in pleasure. "W-well technically yes. But Finn- oh god Finn..." She moaned as he cupped her breasts over her shirt, massaging them in slow circles.

Finn smiled smugly at how easily he could silence his usually loud girlfriend, moving his lips down to her collarbone so he could suck and bite a little as he pleased. Usually she abhorred him leaving marks of any kind because she didn't want to look like a "harlot", but he figured this was a special occasion (plus he knew she secretly loved when he marked her).

But the slight loss of his lips on her must have cleared her head, because she placed her hand over the spot on her neck she knew he was going for.

"Baby, no." Finn whined, trying to kiss somewhere else only to have her cover his lips instead.

She pulled herself slightly out of his grasp but didn't leave his arms. "We have lots of stuff to do before you go back to work tomorrow. I don't want to spend your last day off for the week goofing around. As much as we both want to." She added, rubbing his chest.

Finn sighed. That really did take precedence. "But we haven't christened the new apartment yet."

She giggled and stood up, pressing kisses against his forehead. "And I promise we'll do that at some point before you go back to work. We have all the time in the world now, no need to rush anything." She winked, heading back towards the table that held all the boxes labeled kitchen.

Finn sighed and followed her, it was pretty hard to keep his hands off her while she was wearing her tight yoga pants and a cute, purple zip up hoodie. Then again, she could wear anything and still drive him crazy.

"So what's first boss?" Finn flipped open another box and shuffled around the few pots and pans they had combined with the potholders and some towels.

Rachel reached up to fix her hair, tying it back into a clean ponytail before she peered into his box. "First we're going to put the kitchen stuff away and get a feel for the ambiance of the kitchen."

What? The hell did ambiance mean?

Her voice changed as she moved about the small kitchen, looking inside cupboards and trying to decide what should go where. She was very organized, his girl.

"And then sex on the kitchen counter?" Finn grinned hopefully.

She raised her eyebrows as she looked back at him. "Someone is feeling very frisky today." She shook her head. "But no, not yet. We have to set things up first. And then sex."

"Well maybe you should stop being so damn hot." Finn grumbled, making her giggle as she shut the cupboard underneath the sink.

If he wanted, he could totally convince her to stop with this unpacking nonsense. All he'd have to do is push her against that counter and kiss that little spot behind her ear. That was totally her weak spot and he loved to exploit it.

But then she'd probably be pissed at him later. And a grumpy and stressed Rachel just didn't sound like a good thing to him. Even if it was fun to rile her up sometimes.

So they spent the rest of the evening unpacking every single one of the boxes. Well, Rachel stood there and directed him on where to put everything and he just complied, figuring it was easier to obey than to disagree with her placement.

It wasn't until around eight o'clock that they finished. And by that time he had barely eaten anything all day and he was absolutely fucking starving. They obviously hadn't stocked their kitchen up with any kind of food so they would be forced to eat out tonight. They were far too tired to go grocery shopping now.

"So what sounds good? And don't say pizza, because I am not having pizza again." Rachel warned, looping her arm through his as they set off down the sidewalk.

Rachel figured they could find somewhere to eat as well as get to know their neighborhood a little better. It was really a win-win.

Finn laughed with a shrug. "Okay fine. But nothing spicy either. You know my stomach can't handle that stuff. Hey, how bout that diner." Finn pointed to a little restaurant a couple blocks down the street.

Rachel squinted and looked at the sign, trying to decide at first glance if it was acceptable enough. "Looks clean enough on the outside. Let's do it."

Finn rolled his eyes and smiled, making their way down to the restaurant, which seemed even nicer the closer they got.

She was pleased when they sat down in the booth, Finn automatically wrapping his arm around her shoulder when she's settled in.

He placed sweet little kisses against her neck as she perused the menu, giggling whenever he kissed a particular sensitive spot.

"Well isn't this cute?" A snarky voice came from their left. It was the sound of a voice that was really going to start giving Finn nightmares.

"Dude, do you just follow us everywhere? Seriously you always seem to be where we are." Finn snapped, looking up to glare at Brody. He didn't seem too happy to them of course.

But honestly, what were the odds they kept running into this asshole? It seemed far too fishy for Finn's liking.

Rachel decided to take a nicer approach. "Is there something you need Brody? Finn and I were just about to order." She placed her palm on Finn's thigh and squeezed, trying to calm him down.

"Just thought I'd say hello. I'm here with friends and saw you two when I walked in. My buddy Jeff lives in the neighbourhood." Brody shrugged, pointing to a couple people who were starting to seat themselves at a nearby table.

"I don't know why you always insist on saying hello," Finn started, trying to keep his voice calm, "We aren't even close to being friends and quite frankly I can't stand the sight of your face."

Brody looked both amused and offended a little at the same time, opening his mouth to say something before Rachel interrupted him.

"I think what Finn is trying to say, is that we would appreciate it if you'd stop coming over to talk to us, just because you want to egg Finn on. I know that's what you're doing and it's not going to work. You need to get over this petty revenge quest you seem to be on. It's not healthy."

Finn really didn't know how she could sit so calmly in the presence of such an asshole. Someone who was constantly trying to start something and who actually gave them an AIDS scare. He himself wanted absolutely fucking nothing to do with his prick.

Brody looked at Rachel and his eyes softened a bit, making Finn squeeze her into his side a little tighter.

"I know. I'm sorry Rachel. I am trying to get over you, honest." When Finn snorted, Brody glared, "I just have to find the right thing to help me do that. That's what I'm here with my friends for tonight actually."

Finn rolled his eyes, not buying this dudes fake sincerity in the slightest. "Cool. So go away and have fun with your friends, stop bothering us."

Brody just ignored Finn, turning back to Rachel. "Look, my friends and I are starting a band, and there's this battle of the bands thing going on at the end of the summer and I'd really like it if you could come. As a friend, to you know, support me." Brody shrugged, pulling out a flier and passing it to Rachel.

Rachel looked down at the brightly coloured paper and read through it quickly, placing it on the table when she finished. "I appreciate your offer Brody and I'm sorry, but we really aren't friends. I think all the drama that has happened between us is proof of that. Good luck with your band though."

Brody nodded, looking thoroughly disappointed. "Okay I understand. Just think about it, alright? You can keep the flier. Have a good night, Rachel." Brody once again ignored Finn as he walked back to his friends, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Are you kidding me?" Finn turned to face Rachel incredulously. "How stupid does he think we are? Does he not think we realize what he's trying to do?"

Rachel shook her head. "It's obvious he's just trying to get back into my good books so he can try and take me back. I almost feel bad for him. Almost." Rachel picked up her menu then, trying to pick something to eat.

"You know that flier is going in the trash right?" Finn glared distastefully at the piece of paper on their table as Rachel laughed.

"Yes, but let's wait until we get home so we can recycle it. We just got a new bin and it looks like this restaurant doesn't have one at the moment. We really should file a complaint or something. In this day and age, everyone should have a recycling bin." She kissed his cheek, shaking her head.

Finn rolled his eyes with a half smile, but nodded. Her cool facade calmed him. "You find anything good?" He asked her as he read over her shoulder.

"The spinach ravioli looks really good." Rachel licked her lips, ignoring Finn's grossed out look. "It wouldn't kill you to eat some spinach."

"It looks like soggy, gross seaweed so no thanks. Besides, unless it give me giant muscles like Popeye, I'm staying clear." Finn chuckled, taking the menu from her and picking out his own choice of a cheddar burger and fries.

"Psh. Typical Finn choice." She giggled as she signaled the waiter. "A heart attack on a plate." She added before the waiter came over to take their order. Finn laughed at her quietly as she spoke to the waiter, his eyes catching the flier Brody left behind.

Huh. Entrance into the competition only required a band name and a two-hundred dollar fee. Plus the prize was a chance to record one song in a real studio which would then be submitted to some record company.

That didn't seem like too bad of a deal. Not that he could really do that. He couldn't drum up a band that fast, especially not one where everyone played a different instrument. He really only knew singers. Plus Justin who was like an instrument guru.

But then that would mean being around Brody. Or kicking his ass, that would be awesome... He made a mental note to bring that up to Justin later. The more he thought about it, the better the idea sounded.

He thought about it all through dinner, trying his best to listen to Rachel talk about the newest Broadway show that was opening. She wasn't probably going to drag him to it at some point, but he'd just google the show synopisis beforehand like usual.

He even thought about it on the walk back to their place (God that sounded so awesome to say). At that point it was at the back of his mind because Rachel was starting to get handsy, which was defintely good for him. She kept slipping her hand up and down his arm as they walked through the the streets, the crowds slowly thinning.

His mind returned to the band idea when Rachel sat him down on the couch and told him to wait there while she changed into something a little more sexy. He fist pumped the air as he watched her walk away, knowing he wasn't finally getting his his apartment-christening sex.

The only problem with starting a band was finding another guitarist, maybe a singer. Because he could totally take care of the drums, and Justin was a kickass guitarist. It would be hard for either of them to take on lead vocals as well. Plus they needed a bassist.

But considering they worked at a music shop, it really couldn't be that hard to find someone temporarily. Maybe even permanently.

All thoughts of music stopped abruptly whenever he heard the door creak open, revealing his little goddess herself dressed in a black, see-through teddy. It barely covered her ass and he could see her taunt nipples already sticking out against the silky fabric.

He cursed under his breath his eyes taking down her body hungrily. "W-where on earth did you get that?" He asked, his eyes wide as he stood, slipping his arms around her waist and the silky material.

There was no way he'd ever get tired of the feeling of having her in his arms. It just felt too heavenly.

"I may have made a stop at Victoria's Secret with Santana a couple weeks ago. I wanted to save it for a special night, and what better opportunity than our first night in our new apartment." Rachel rubbed his chest, looking up at him.

Finn shrugged, still smiling goofily. "I'm just really happy." And he really was. He and Rachel were going super strong and they just got a new place that was theirs and theirs alone.

Not to mention he was getting super excited at the thought of starting a band. Something that would be all his, and something that would give him a little niche here in New York. It would be like how accepted he felt when he joined Glee club, which was probably one of the best choices he'd ever made in his life.

Who would have thought Brody of all people would give him the idea to start a band?

Rachel leaned up to kiss his lips softly, cupping his jaw. "I'm happy too. Happier than I've ever been. And it's all because of you."

Finn looked down at her and kissed her back affectionately, almost forgetting all about the band idea as he got lost in her kisses. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." She pushed herself onto his chest and straddled his waist, her hair fanning out over both of their faces as she kissed him hungrily.

"Are we going to-?" Finn asked breathlessly, his strong arms wrapped around her tiny waist as he held her to him.

"Christen the new apartment? Absolutely." She giggled when his eyes brightened excitedly and he shoved his lips back into hers, his hands beginning to wander all over the expanse of her warm back.

No words were exchanged after that, save for the breathy moans of each others name and I love you's as they made love for the first time in their very own place.

Rachel yawned, stretching her arms above her head as the sun shone through the curtains the next morning. It felt great to wake up to an empty, quiet household.

Usually she was woken up by the sound of Finn and Santana bickering, or of Kurt listening to the morning news, the TV turned up on high as he stood in the kitchen and drank his morning cup of coffee.

But now the only sound was of the morning traffic and people talking outside, which Rachel didn't mind at all. She'd grown to be rather soothed by the sound of loud cars and pedestrians outside.

Craning her neck to look behind her, she saw Finn snoring away, his hair ruffled and a slight sheen of drool in the corner of his mouth. She lightly rubbed the arm that was wrapped around her waist, trying to rouse him.

"Finn, baby? It's time to get up." She whispered softly, her voice scratchy from sleep.

He grumbled like a small child, burrowing deeper into his pillow and squeezing her waist tighter in protest. "I don't wanna." Finn groaned.

Rachel sighed, shaking her head. "I know you don't want to, but we have to. You have work in a couple hours and I have to go grocery shopping today."

Finn was silent for a moment before he began shuffling around, retracting his arm from around her waist and pecking her cheek.

"So how'd you sleep, babe? First night in our bed in our own place." He grinned, his unruly hair sticking up in every direction. He stood up and stretched, dressed only in his white t-shirt and blue boxers.

Rachel reached for the little chair adjacent to their bed and pulled on her robe over the little shorts and tank she was wearing. "I slept incredibly well. And the best part? We don't have to fight for the bathroom or the stove top."

"Mmm I'm feeling bacon and eggs this morning." Finn rubbed his stomach, "Why don't you shower while I go get some breakfast? There's this little diner that serves only breakfast food a couple of blocks down. I saw on the way home last night and I can just ask for the food to go. What do you want babe?"

He searched around the room for his jeans, finally finding them shoved halfway under the bed. "That sounds great. But no bacon and eggs for me." She chuckled. "I'll take pancakes, blueberry if they have them." She opened the closet door and grabbed one of his hoodies, tossing it onto the bed next to him.

He pulled it over his head and grabbed the nearest pair of sweatpants, his Nike's going on a moment after. "I'll be back." He slung an arm around her waist and kissed her forehead before heading to the front door to grab his keys and phone.

He yawned sleepily as he trudged down the stairs and outside into the crisp morning air. As usual, there were already tons of people bustling about the streets already. It was something that he had now grown accustomed to and made him feel content.

Eyeing the restaurant that he could see from a few streets down, he grinned to himself as he thought about the whole band thing again.

How cool would it be if they actually won? They could get a chance at really being picked up by some label. And while he still wanted to go to school, being in a band, getting to play drums for a living just sounded like the perfect way to go. And who knows, down the line maybe he could become a music teacher when he got too old or got tired of the rockstar lifestyle.

He had yet to bring it up to Rachel but he was sure she'd be happy and supportive. She was always like that in high school, always getting super hyped up whenever he talked about what he wanted to do with his life. He really loved that she cared so much, even when he was feeling unsure about it.

After picking up breakfast, they ate and both got ready to leave for their respective duties of the day.

"Have a good day babe. Are you sure you don't want me to help you?" He smiled as they kissed goodbye at the door, arms wound tightly around eachother.

She grinned and pecked his lower lip "This is just the first round of grocery shopping. Just enough food to keep us going for the next couple days. But thank you. You have a good day too."

He found it difficult to part ways, he'd loved getting to spend so much more time with her. He was also finding it hard not to smile, it had been a great night.

The grin was spread across his face from ear to ear as he stepped into the music store, greeted by the song Free Fallin' by Tom Petty.

"Hey man!" Justin greeted from the counter, his pale blue eyes ungluing themselves from the book he was reading.

Finn waved and walked over to the counter, leaning against it as Justin put his book down.

"So," Justin began, grinning at Finn, "How was the big move in? The new place working out well?"

Finn fought to hide the blush that appeared on his cheeks at Justin's underline suggestive tone. "We got pretty much everything unpacked. Well, I unpacked and Rachel just told me where to put everything. And um, yeah. All I'll say is that Rachel and I stayed up pretty late last night, despite being really tired." Finn added, unable to help himself.

Hey, he had a hot girlfriend, he was allowed some bragging rights. As long as he didn't go too into detail, he figured Rachel wouldn't be upset if she ever felt found out.

"Nice." Justin chuckled. "Seriously though, I'm glad you two finally decided to get a place together. From what I've seen, you two are pretty much made for eachother."

Finn smiled at the thought, "Yeah, we are. She makes me so damn happy."

"Good for you." Justin clapped him on the back as he moved from around the counter, having noticed some records out of place on the counter.

Moving to the back room, Finn opened up his locker and stuffed his jacket and backpack in, ready to begin his shift. But first, he wanted to talk to Justin about what had been in the back of his mind since last night.

He jogged back to the front where Justin was standing in the guitar section, tuning the epiphone les paul. "Hey Justin?" Finn asked, grabbing the stool from the drum kit and sitting down across from Justin.

"Yeah?" He asked as he stopped his strumming, licking his lips and pocketing his guitar pick.

"What would you say if I asked you to help me start a band?" Finn blurted out, jiggling his leg nervously.

Justin's eyebrows rose in surprise, probably not at all expecting that to come out of Finns' mouth. "You want to start a band? What made that come up?"

Finn nodded, "I just thought it would be cool. Rach and I were out at dinner last night and, long story short, we received this flyer that was for a battle of the bands thing coming up in a few months. I dunno, I just couldn't get the idea out of my head."

His friend placed the guitar back on the rack, excitement creeping into his tone, "You're serious?"

"Deadly serious." Finn smiled, encouraged by Justin's growing smile.

"I've always wanted to start a band. Since I was about thirteen and learned to play the guitar. You want me to be a part of it?" Justin pushed off the wall, looking like he was barely able to contain his excitement now.

Finn nodded in confirmation. "If you want, man. You're the strongest guitar player I know, I'd be honoured to have you co-lead my band."

"Yes! Hell yes. When do we start auditioning potential band members? What are we going to call ourselves?" Justin started firing questions at him at lightning speed, making him chuckle.

He knew it would be a great idea to ask Justin. Not only did he love music just as much as he did, but he knew that Justin needed his own little niche in New York too.

"We'll both have to think of some names. As for members, I had an idea to start spreading some news about our band." Finn grinned as Justin also pulled up a chair so they could talk.

"What's your idea?" He asked.

"I was thinking we could put up some flyers at Rachel's school and our school's band room. The best place to find potential candidates is in the music department right?" Finn explained.

Justin was nodding as Finn spoke. "Yeah, that's a pretty genius idea." He was looking thoughtful. "But hey, we need to figure out a name first. I can start on the flyers tonight and bring them to work tomorrow. But I can guarantee no one will take us seriously without an actual band name."

"Yeah you're right. We can brainstorm now as we work." Finn took out a pad and pencil from under the keyboard at the front desk.

And with that, they were off to work, throwing out ideas and crossing out the ones they didn't care for.

They were on their way to starting something bigger than both of them ever realized.

"So what are your plans for the day?" Kurt asked Rachel as he stirred his tea, leaning against the counter.

She shrugged. "I was thinking of going job hunting today. I'm going to need something to do this summer since I didn't get the part." She didn't mean to sound so upset, but she couldn't keep the sadness out of her tone.

"Hey, it'll be okay. There will be other parts. You have to remember you're still a college student. It is very rare, if not impossible, for people your age to snag a lead role like that." Kurt reached across the kitchen counter and squeezed her hand softly.

"Now, I'm going to work okay? Thank you for breakfast." Kurt pocketed his phone and gave both her cheeks kisses. "We'll have to make this a weekly thing. Especially since Dani has been spending the night more and more. Love them both, but I can only stand so much making out while I'm eating."

Rachel forced a smile, though it became a little more genuine with Kurt's comment about Santana and Dani. She really was happy for her friend, she hadn't seen Santana this happy since Brittany.

"That sounds great Kurt, I'll see you later. Oh, and thank you for bringing over Finn's Journey CD. He's been freaking out because he couldn't find it." She rolled her eyes playfully as she walked Kurt to the door to see him out.

He nodded and waved as he hurried to the elevator, not wanting to be late and face the wrath of his bitchy boss at Glamour. Rachel watched his retreating back until the door slide closed, sighing and shutting her own door.

It had been easier than she thought to get Kurt to come over to their new place this morning. Well, easier in a sense. She'd been trying for a while but he seemed to be so busy lately that he was hardly at his own place.

Between work, school, and his blossoming relationship with Elliott, Kurt had his hands full. But she still really missed her best friend. He'd been her lifeline for most of her time in New York and she had a sour feeling in the pit of her stomach that their new hectic lives were forcing them to drift apart.

Santana was now taking dance classes and spending mire time with Dani. She barely saw Artie, Sam, or Blaine. Finn had friends at school and he had his co-workers. And Rachel?

She was left to try and scrap up any time with her friends that their schedules allowed. They all had lives and here she was sitting by herself at ten in the morning and having a pity party.

No. She needed to get out there and get a damn job. Something, anything to keep her preoccupied during the summer.

Just as she got up, she was startled by her phone buzzing very loudly on the counter. She yelped a little and grabbed her chest, reaching for the phone moments later.

She let out a breath before answering, "Hello? Rachel Berry speaking."

"Rachel Berry? This is Rupert Campion." The voice on the other end told her.

Something in her made her freeze up completely. Were her prayers actually being answered? She waited for him to continue, not like she could speak at the moment anyways.

He cleared his throat before continuing. "I know we last spoke a while ago, but if you have time within the next hour or so, I really need to speak with you. Can you find any time?"

"Yes!" Rachel nearly shouted instantly, before wincing and continuing more calmly. "I mean, yes. I have some time right now. Where will this meeting take place?"

"Great. And I'll be in my office. It's on the fifth floor, the building right on the corner of Rucker and Eastwick." He clarified, his voice as smooth and calm as always.

Rachel, on the other hand, was completely freaking out internally. What if he had changed his mind and was in fact going to offer her the lead role. Or hell, even understudy would be great. She knew they'd recently held auditions for understudy and maybe he was concerned that he didn't see her there. Rachel hadn't heard a word about the production since Brody told her that she didn't get the part.

"I'll be there as soon as possible." She answered, managing to keep her voice fairly steady.

There was a pause before Rupert spoke again. "Thank you for coming on such shirt notice, Rachel. I'll let my assistant know you're coming so she can let you right in." He added.

She couldn't help but thank him before they both hung up. She squealed in excitement and rushed to the bathroom to get ready.

Fifteen minutes later Rachel was rushing out of the house, still trying to put her arm into the hole of her sweater as she made her way towards the elevator. She was both excited and a little nervous.

And both of those feelings swam through her stomach as she rode the bus down to the address Rupert had provided her with over the phone. When the bus stopped, her stomach lurched along with it and she practically ran into the tall building. Yeah, what if he actually offered her a part right here, right now? They might need to keep the paramedics on standby just in case she blacked out.

She approached the older woman at the desk, plastering on one of her famous Rachel Berry smiles. "Hi, I'm here to see Rupert Campion. He's expecting me, I'm Rachel Berry." She told the woman enthusiastically.

The woman raised an eyebrow at her excessive cheerfulness before she bent down slightly to speak into the intercom. "Mr. Campion? I have Rachel Berry here that needs to see you. Are you ready for her?"

There was a moment of static before Rupert' voice sounded from the other end. "Yes, please send her in, Lolita."

The woman, Lolita as she was named, held her arm out at an angle, gesturing for Rachel to head through the large tan doors behind her.

Rachel looked at the doors then back at Lolita. "Thank you." She muttered politely before pulling on one of the big metal handles and walking through the door.

The office was more spacious than she imagined. There was a plush leather couch next to a bookcase to her right, a fish tank to her left, and Rupert's desk directly in front of her. Not to mention the floor to ceiling windows that showed off the gorgeous view of the city both in front of her and to her left.

"Rachel, so glad you could make it. Please, sit. Do you want any tea? Coffee? Lolita just made fresh pots of both." He offered, standing and pointing to the cups and pots on the table next to the couch.

Rachel sat and shook her head, too nervous to drink anything right now. "No I'm alright. Thank you for the offer though."

He nodded and sat back down, folding his hands in front of him on the desk with a look that she had never seen on his face. Nervousness? Guilt? She didn't know, but it made her nerves multiply tenfold.

"I'm sure you're probably wondering what this meeting is about. I initially thought about calling you, but that seemed too impersonal for the situation at hand. I figured I owed you an explanation face to face." He started gravely.

His tone made Rachel both panicky and curious. Whatever this was about, it clearly wasn't good news. But what really boggled her mind was his comment about calling being too impersonal. Was this not the same man that sent his lackeys to reject people?

"Well you've certainly piqued my interest. I'm judging my your tone now that this isn't exactly pleasant news" Rachel said honestly, feeling more than a little deflated and mad at herself for getting her hopes up again.

Rupert licked his lips nervously. "No it isn't. You do know a Brody Weston, correct?" He asked.

She was sure she'd gone as pale as a ghost the moment those words left his mouth. What could Brody possibly have to do with this? She was so sick and tired of hearing that man's name in every freakin aspect of her day. Could he maybe stop wrecking with her life at some point?

"I-I do sir." Rachel responded, her stomach churning painfully as she waited for him to elaborate.

"Well, it has come to my attention that Mr. Weston took it upon himself to do a little director work in my absence. I just found out two days ago and I've been dealing with it ever since. Turns out while I was sick, he broke in and stole the most recent list of those who auditioned from my desk late at night. He then proceeded to take your name off the list and from there he went to you personally, lying to you about was has actually transpired over the last few weeks." The man explained, looking severely guilty.

Rachel was completely speechless. Brody had really done all that? And for what, revenge? She felt positively sick to her stomach, the room almost spinning as she breathed a little deeper.

Rupert seemed to sense that she was unable to speak because he continued a few moments later, his eyes on her the whole time. "When I got back from my sick leave I was prepared to weed through all the candidates with my colleagues. I was still somewhat out of it and never realized you're name was no longer there. Then two days ago, I was going through the old papers on my desk so I could throw them out and saw one of the older drafts with your name. I've been trying to figure out what happened ever since. I was just clued in by one of my crew members who had some knowledge on Mr. Weston's actions over the past few weeks."

She still didn't know how to respond. She'd had her chance of Broadway ripped away from her because of a jealous and upset ex-boyfriend. She just wanted to go home, cry, and wait for Finn to get back. The dread and despair that filled her was sickening.

"I can't even begin to tell you how sorry and embarrassed I am that this happened. I know this must be devastating for you to hear." Rupert consoled her. She could tell he was sorry. And honestly, she didn't blame him anyways. One of his employees took advantage of his sick state and used that time to sabotage her. She blamed herself more than anybody else.

"T-thank you for taking the time to explain this to me. I don't really know what to say to be frank." She paused. "And there's no chance of getting a re-audition?" She asked, unable to keep the ounce of hope from invading her voice.

He led his head hang, shaking his head and dispelling any hope Rachel was clinging onto. "No, I'm terribly sorry Ms. Berry. We've already cast everyone. Understudy's were just cast last week. It wouldn't be fair to take that away from those people now. But again, I am so sorry this is how everything turned out. You had a really spectacular audition and I hope this doesn't discourage you from auditioning in the future." He told her sincerely.

Rachel nodded, the tears stinging the back of her eyes. She didn't know how much longer she could keep them at bay.

"I do want you to know that we've been taking swift action against Mr. Weston. He was been fired from the show, we've alerted NYADA about this predicament and legally, he is no longer allowed anywhere near the production." Rupert's words did make her feel a little better, knowing Brody was definitely getting what he deserved.

She didn't know what else could be said about the situation though, so she stood quickly. She was just barely holding herself together and she needed to get out of here ASAP.

"Well, thank you for your time and for dealing with Brody. Best of luck." Her voice cracked at the end but she couldn't help it. Nor did she care, Rupert could no doubt tell how upset she was.

"Wait! I do have a proposition for you. A chance to be a part of this production even if you can't actually be in it." Rupert hurried over to where she was preparing to take flight and bolt the hell out of the building.

She was not about to be a member of the chorus or someone who just swayed in the background. No, Rachel Berry had more self respect than that.

"I hired this young man about your age to be the set designer. His work is limited but what I have seen of his work is pretty incredible. I still oversee him but he's been doing alright. He could however, use a partner to help level him out. I think he's getting very overwhelmed. And what better person to help him than someone who loves musical theater and is actually going to school to study. I figured you two could bounce some ideas off each other."

Rachel bit her lip as she thought about his offer. It did sound tempting. It would give her a chance to be in a real Broadway musical atmosphere and she was looking for work. Plus, Brody wasn't allowed near the production so she wouldn't have to worry about him randomly showing up to places she worked. The other big problem was that Finn probably wouldn't be so thrilled with the idea of her working so close with another man...

"I don't know Rupert..." Rachel sighed, almost feeling to emotionally drained to make such a big decision at the moment.

"Please Rachel. It would really ease my conscious and help me feel better about what happened if you'd take this job. I do think you're a very talented young woman and it wouldn't hurt to get more experience on a set under your belt. I know you wouldn't get to sing, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it." Rupert all but pleaded, the sincerity in his eyes giving her all the confidence she needed to make her decision.

She finally nodded, making Rupert smile widely. "Okay, I would be honoured to be a part of your production Rupert." She even managed a genuine smile herself. Sure, she was incredibly devastated about everything she had just heard. But this change of events could end up being something enjoyable and good for her to do over the summer. She was just complaining this morning about how she was the only one in her group of friends that didn't really have a life.

Also, Rupert was right. This would be a good opportunity to get her name out into the world of Broadway, even if she was just a member of the crew. You never know what kinds of opportunities could arise. And Rupert said he liked her and thought she was talented. That could also become a very valuable relationship in the future.

"Great! This is amazing news, I'll tell him right away! He's very shy but I'm sure he'll take a liking to you. I foresee you two having a lot in common. Let me write down his number for you. Maybe you can meet up before rehearsal next week." Rupert looked much more cheerful now and Rachel was sure it had to do with him feeling less guilty now.

She couldn't help but feel a little excited as she watched him jot down the young set designers name, even if the rest of her body felt cold and numb.

"Okay, here it is. I'll also be calling you myself soon so we can talk about pay, scheduling, and your responsibilities. I expect you're already exhausted enough." Rupert walked her to the door, his hand gently resting on her shoulder in a comforting manner. "Please accept my sincere apologies again. I hope you can forgive me." He held out the sheet of paper as he stopped at the door with her on the other side now.

Rachel nodded, taking it from him. "I don't blame you at all. Thank you for this opportunity, Rupert." Rachel held up her hand to wave. He smiled and did the same, waiting for her to turn around before he quietly shut his office door.

She sighed. What an emotional day. And it was barely noon!

It wasn't until she was safely tucked away on the bus that she finally took out the sheet of paper to read the name printed in dark red ink:

Kyle Bishop

1 (718) 339-4867

Btw, if that is someone's actual phone number, it is completely coincidental. I just made this number up haha.

Soooo, do you think this new guy Kyle will be a threat to our dear Finchel's steady relationship?

Those of you who watched Smash should know who he is and should know the answer to that question ;)

And also, Brody? If you didn't already hate him in this story, I'm sure you do now! This isn't the last we've seen of him though :(

But if you liked this chapter, please give it a review/fav/follow! Thank you all for putting up with my lack of updates!